River
by Crazy Jay Blue
Summary: Alone on the highway, in the snow. Sometimes Roxas regrets his quick temper. AKUROKU AU


I had this idea around Christmas, My Grandmother lives out in the country, and we were driving back to her place at night, we were listening to the song 'River' By Joni Mitchell, and this little idea walked into my head. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: If I had enough money to own Roxas and Axel, I would by now... But as I am a lowly peasant, I do not. So I do not.

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River

The air was freezing, and Roxas' increasingly short breath was coming in puffs of steam, if he didn't freeze to death out in this god-forsaken wasteland, he would personally track down and kill every person who had dutifully ignored his outstretched thumb, he had thought that hitchhiking at this time of year would be easier, in the joy of the holiday spirit and all, but no such luck. The black night had since lightened, and the sky was slowly turning from gray to a cloudy maroon.

After a while, Roxas had given up the concept of staying in one place, so he decided to walk, maybe he would reach a destination before he died out here. So there he was, pacing the Highway, thumb still obstinately outstretched and cold biting at every slightly exposed part of him, and on Christmas eve nonetheless. He didn't get along with his family, it's not like that was a secret, and the argument that had broken out over dinner about the fact that yes, he was, at sixteen, _still_ gay, and not growing out of it anytime soon- was almost to be expected. but running away had left him out here, alone, it was nearing eleven, and the homeward bound party-goers were growing thin. He leaned up against the 'no passing' sign that had been staring at him for the past few minutes and let out an utterly exhausted breath, contemplating his seemingly hopeless situation with increasing anxiety.

His parents had decided to move their 'happy' little family out to their grandparents house in the middle of freaking nowhere for the holidays, so the lay of the countryside was only vaguely familiar to Roxas, having only spent previous holidays and a few hazy summers out here. He tried remembering back to the time before he had hated Christmas so much, the times of blissful unawareness and the greedy tearing of colorful wrapping paper in his grandparents living room, it seemed like an age, he mentally labeled it as 'The age prior to Axel.' See, he really didn't used to hate Christmas. But that seemed like a long time ago, now.

Headlights careened past him and back into the darkness on the winding road, each driver ignoring him, or giving him a curt, apologetic nod before sweeping back into the blackness. So much for fucking Christmas spirit. Roxas thought bitterly. A sudden chill swept over him and he tilted his head up into the deep red sky, as snow began to fall.

"Shit," he grumbled, his sore limbs seeming to groan in protest, and unexpected tears of frustration came to his sore bluest blue eyes.

He suddenly realized he was shaking, of course, he had been out here for some hours, and with no hat or proper boots, and he wondered when his parents would realize he was gone and send Larxene out to find him, _and_ he wondered how far he had gotten by now, but he had no map or means to tell with, not like he could hold _anything _with his numb fingers.

A pair of orange lights came over the nearest hill, then down the twisting curved asphalt and almost passed him, before coming to a stop. Roxas fully expected it to be his sister, but a spiky red head extracted itself from the car, and came around to face him. Roxas thought he might die, his uncovered head already flushed from the cold- colored a deeper shade of pink.

"Hey Kid," Axel said, pulling his black trench-coat a little tighter around his skinny frame.

Roxas was speechless, probably for the first time in his entire life, tears still free falling down his face. There, was Axel. Axel who he hadn't spoken to since this time last year, Axel, who had thrown him away, then let Roxas simply walk away from him a second time, without so much as a hand to stop him.

"Hey, Roxas? You okay?" He asked as if it mattered to him.

"Axel, how, how did you find me? What are you _doing _here?" It had to be the cold, he was hallucinating, clearly.

The older boy, _man_ Roxas corrected, looked only the slightest uncomfortable.

"I wanted to find you again, it's just not the same without you." He said flatly, leaning against his crappy white Ford Explorer that was slowly fading into the snowy backdrop. And staring intently at Roxas' shoes.

"What?" Roxas looked at Axel, confused, willing him to look at him.

"Christmas dummy, it's just not the same without the people you love."

Roxas laughed humorlessly-

"Don't be stupid. You don't even love me anymore." he said, now holding back his increasingly more determined tears with all the will in his frozen body.

But it didn't matter anymore, because he was suddenly sobbing into Axel's chest, and Axel was holding him close as he shook, uncontrollable sobs and the pent up anger of an entire year soaking into the ultra-suede jacket. His arms were still surprisingly strong for someone so skinny, Roxas thought distractedly as his crying quieted, and Axel still held him.

"You won't make me go back, will you?"

"No."

"Then why are you here?" Roxas grumbled, almost grouchy, face still muffled in Axel.

"Because I wanted to give you something."

"Oh?" Roxas said, finding it easy to pretend that nothing had happened between them.

"Yes."

He said decisively, before craning his long gazelle neck so that he could kiss Roxas, gently on his frozen lips, wiping his icy tears away from his cheeks with his thumb, and teasing his lips apart just long enough for the lightest taste before pulling only an inch away.

'Merry Christmas, Roxas.'

The End?

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Yes, in case you all were wondering, I am considering writing a second chapter to this. But I currently have no ideas, if you do- please drop a review. A good prompt would probably whip my lazy butt into shape.


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